Flora of North America species comparison

35–110 cm;

vegetative culms few, inconspicuous, usually fewer than 15 leaves, not strikingly 3-ranked, leaves clustered at apex.

31–115 cm × 0.9–2 mm, smooth, serrulate, or scabriduous at mid height.

sheaths adaxially green, narrow hyaline band near collar, adaxially firm, summits U-shaped, smooth;

distal ligules 1.5–3.2 mm;

blades 3–6 per fertile culm, 12–38 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

ligule of distal leaf (2–)3.5–7.1 mm, 2–3.9 times as long as wide;

blades 1.8–5.9 mm wide, widest blade 2.3–5.9 mm wide.

erect, ± congested, green to light brown, 1.3–3(–3.5) cm × 7–16 mm;

proximal internode 1.5–6 mm; 2d internode 2.5–6.5 mm;

proximal bracts aristate, with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

(33–)40–89(–103) mm;

proximal internode 6–32 mm;

proximal bracts 14–43 mm, awn 10–39 mm;

spikes 5–9, usually gynecandrous;

proximal spikes usually with 1–4 staminate and (14–)18–31(–40) pistillate flowers, 12–22(–25) × 3.9–6.5 mm;

terminal spikes usually with 1–5 staminate and 14–28 pistillate flowers, 9.6–16 × 3.4–6.2 mm.

2–4(–5), overlapping, globose to ellipsoid, 6–16 × 5–12 mm, base and apex rounded;

terminal spike usually lacking conspicuous staminate base.

(25–)30–80 per spike, spreading at maturity, ascending-spreading, pale brown, conspicuously 5-veined or more abaxially, conspicuously 0–6-veined adaxially, elliptic to ± orbiculate, plano-convex, (3–)3.3–4.8(–5.7) × 1.8–3 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick, 1.2–1.8 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.4–0.8 mm wide, smooth;

beak light brown at tip, flat, 0.7–1.6(–1.8) mm, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with white or hyaline golden brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.6–2.6 mm.

erect to appressed-erect, green to brown, prominently to weakly 3–7-veined abaxially, prominently to weakly 0–3(–6)-veined adaxially, narrowly lanceolate, 3.4–5.2 × 1.1–1.4 mm, 2.9–4 times as long as wide, apex abruptly contracted to gradually tapering;

beak 1.5–2.5 mm, 0.4–0.53 times as long as perigynia, margins serrulate, apex bidentulate, teeth (0.2–)0.3–1 mm, (0.06–)0.09–0.2 times as long as perigynia.

elliptic to narrowly oblong, 1.3–1.7 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick.

1.5–2.1 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 1.3–1.8 times as long as wide.

scales hyaline-brown, with green or pale midstripe, ovate, 2.9–3.5 mm, much shorter and narrower than perigynia, margins pale, apex acute.

scales with whitish to castaneous margins, (2.2–)2.5–4.1 × 1.4–2 mm, body 2.2–2.9(–3.1) mm, apex acuminate to short-awned to 1.5 mm.

scales with whitish to castaneous margins, 3.1–4.3 × 1–1.5 mm, apex acute to short-awned.

1.3–1.8 mm.

1.8–2.5 mm.

= 68, 70.